Map game apparatus with cards arranged in matched pairs



Sept. 16, 1969 R. c. SCHMITT MAP GAME APPARATUS WITH CARDS ARRANGED IN MATCHED PAIRS 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed June 7, 1967 sept. 16, 1969 R. sCHMlTT 3,467,387

MAP GAME APPARATUS WITH CARDS ARRANGED IN MATCHED PAIRS Filed June 7, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent O U.S. Cl. 273-134 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A game apparatus including a game board illustrating a map of the fifty states, each having its name and its capital city designated. First and second decks of playing cards respectively bear only the names of the states and their capitals, and a deck of instruction cards contain instructions for moving a game piece over the game board and are drawn after a player has obtained a pair of corresponding state and capital cards (a capitalized set). Each player begins with a quantity of money for use in purchasing airports in the capitalized states and receives a quantity of stock for each purchase, the winner of the game being the first player to obtain a predetermined number of airports and -a predetermined quantity of stock.

Background of the invention This invention pertains to educational and amusement devices or games, and more particularly to a financial and geographical game played upon a game board. The game combines the entertainment value of a financial game with the educational or instructional value of a geographical game.

Summary of the invention The present game is comprised of a game board hav ing a map with indicia thereon representing a plurality of different geogr-aphic entities, each of which includes a point of interest relating to that entity. First and second decks of playing cards are provided with the respective cards thereof having indicia thereon representing a different one of the geographical entities and points of interest corresponding to said entities, a card from the first or second deck being drawn by each player in successive turns. A deck of instruction cards is provided with each card having instructions thereon pertaining to a game move, the instruction cards being drawn only when a pair of corresponding geographical entity and point of interest cards are obtained by a player. The game further includes a plurality of game pieces, each movable on the game board from a starting point to the points of interest along a course determined by a pair of corresponding geographical entity and point of interest cards obtained by a player and the instructions indicated on a drawn instruction card. In addition, financial assets are provided which are disbursed by a player upon moving the game piece to a point of interest, and are received by a player when another players course during a game move intersects a geographical entity to which the former, having obtained a pair of corresponding playing cards, has moved his game piece, if permitted by instructions indicated on a drawn instruction card. The winner of the game is the first player to accumulate a predeter mined amount of assets and number of pairs of corresponding playing cards. The game therefore attains the object of combining the educational value of a geographical game with the entertainment value of a financial game. Other objects and features will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.

3,467,387 Patented Sept. 16, 1969 ICC Brief description of the drawings FIG. 1 is a plan view of the present game board; FIGS. 2A and 2B are perspective view of decks of capital and state cards, respectively;

FIGS. 3A and 3B are perspective views of stacks of play money and stock certificates, respectively;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a deck of instruction cards; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a game piece.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Description of the preferred embodiment v' ing a map 3 of the fifty United States thereon, with each state having a point of interest, such as its capital city, designated. For example, the State of Texas is indicated at 5 and its capital Austin at 7. The map 3 is divided into eight groups of states denominated as the New England,

flight or instruction cards 19. The game is preferably played by four players; thus four starting points designated East, North, West and South airlines are indicated at 21, 23, 25 and 27, respectively.

Referring to FIGS. 2A and 2B, the capital cards 11 consist of a deck of fifty-one playing cards, with each card having the name of one of the fifty capital cities printed thereon. The fifty-first card is a card representing the capital of the United States, Washington, D.C., and is known as a stock card since the holder of the card receives a $5,000A stock certificate. For example, the top card in FIG. 2A is imprinted with the name Austin, the capital of Texas. The state cards 15 similarly comprise a deck of fifty-one playing cards, with each card representing one of the fifty states and the fifty-first card being a card known as a stock card since the holder of the card receives a $5,000 stock certificate. For example, the top card in FIG. 2B represents Texas.

FIGS. 3A and 3B respectively illustrate a stack of play money 29 and a stack of stock certificates 31. The play money 29 may include various denominations, such as $100, $1,000, $5,000, $10,000 and $15,000 bills. The stack of stock certificates 31 may also include a plurality of different denominations although it is preferred that only $5,000 denomination stock certificates be utilized.

The deck of flight or instruction cards 19 illustrated in FIG. 4 is comprised of a plurality of individual cards each having an instruction or message imprinted thereon. For example, the top card illustrated in FIG. 4 informs the player drawing this card that he receives double the normal bonus if his fiight takes him to the Southwestern States. The remaining cards, which may number fifty to one hundred, each give a different instruction for the player drawing that card. For example, the instructions may include penalties such as Pay to supply depot $1,000 for repair work on each airport owned and Due to bad weather, you have to fly off your course, and if this flight takes you to the Rocky Mountain States, you lose your next turn. The instruction cards also include rewards such as Due to your record of safe flight, your stock has increased $10,000, collect this from the bank and If you own an airport in any state that is bordered by the Great Lakes, collect $1,000 for each of the Great Lake States that borders or touches your state. Other appropriate instructions are imprinted on the remaining cards.

Referring to FIG. 5, a game piece 33 is illustrated in the form of an airplane. Four such game pieces are preferably utilized, one for each player, and each is placed at the start of the game at one of the respective starting points 21, 23, 25 and 27. Also, a number of pieces (not shown) representing airports may be provided for purposes which will be described hereinafter. Although aircraft, flight cards and airports are illustrated as being used in playing the game, it will be understood that various other symbolic devices, such as those representing automobiles or railroad train cars or the like may also be utilized. Preferably, each of the airplanes should be a different color and an equal number of airports in a matching color is provided for each airplane.

To play the game, the players, seated adjacent each of the four edges of the game board 1, place their game pieces 33 at the respective starting points. The starting arrangement may be determined by drawing cards from the capital cards, with the player drawing the card closest to Washington, D.C., being first. After the starting arrangement has been determined, the capital and state cards 11 and 15, respectively, are separately shuiiied and placed face down on the spaces 9 and 13 indicated on the game board 1. Four capital cards and four state cards are then dealt to each player, one card at a time, and the remaining cards returned to their respective spaces 9 and 13 on the game board. The object of the game is to build a predetermined number of airports and accumulate a predetermined amount of stock. For example, a winner may be declared when one of the players builds twelve airports and accumulates $100,000 in stock. At the beginning of the game each player is given $100,000 in cash to be used as the game proceeds, and a bank for handling the money, a stock brokerage for handling the stock certicates, and a supply depot for distributing airport pieces, are established.

The first player draws a card from either the state cards or the capital cards and compares the drawn card with either the capital or state cards in his hand, depending upon whether a state or capital card was drawn. If, after drawing a card, the player has a pair of corresponding state and capital cards, hereinafter referred to as a capitalized pair or set, he places the capitalized set face up on the board so that the other players can view it for correctness. The player then draws a ight card and follows the instructions thereon. If he is allowed to make his ight to the capitalized state he must buy an airport for that state by paying $10,000 to the bank. In return he receives a stock certicate for $5,000. The player moves his airplane to the capitalized state and places a matching airport piece within the state on the game board. As previously mentioned, each of the groups of states offers a bonus for obtaining a capitalized set. The bonuses range from $500 for the Midwestern and Southern States to $3,000 for the New Paciic States. Thus, when a player draws a capitalized set and is not prevented by the instruction card from making his flight to that state, he is given a bonus from the bank in the amount of the designated bonus times the number of states that he has capitalized in that group. For example, if the first .player turn, he must discard a like card to a discard pile so that he retains the same number of capital and state cards in his hand. By a like card is meant a card, either a state or a capital card, of the type which the player has drawn. This applies also when a player has not drawn a capitalized set. For example, if the first player had drawn a state card and had not obtained a capitalized set with one of the capital cards in his hand, he must discard one of the five state cards he now holds so as to retain only four capital and four state cards. The discarded cards are placed face up on the game board in two separate stacks, one for the capital cards and one for the state cards.

The second player may then draw from either deck of capital or state cards, or from the top card in either discard stack. If he capitalizes, he must complete his play by drawing a ight card and purchasing an airport in the capitalized state if the instructions on the flight card do not prevent him from doing so. If the direct line of flight from the second players starting point to his capitalized state intersects another players capitalized state in which an airport is located, he must pay the owner of that state $1,000 for the privilege of ying over it. A like payment of $1,000 must be made for each additional capitalized state over which the players direct line of iiight takes him in making his game move. The second player then discards a like card so as to retain the same number of state and capital cards in his hand. Play continues in this manner until one of the players has made four capitalized sets and has no cards left in his hand. At this time, play ends for this round and all remaining cards in the other players hands, and the cards in the live and discarded piles, are shuflied and placed on their respective locations on the game board. The cards representing the capitalized sets remain on the board for the complete game and are not reshuled for replay. The player first obtaining four capitalized sets in a round collects for each card in each of the remaining players hands. If play should proceed through all cards in both decks without one player making four capitalized sets, all of the cards except the capitalized sets are reshuied for replay.

If a player is dealt or draws either the Washington, D.C. or the state stock card, he places this card face up in front of him and draws another card from the same deck. The Washington, D.C., or state stock card remains with that player for the entire round and entitles him to collect fees as indicated on the flight cards. In addition, the player that has the Washington, D.C., or state stock card in each round receives a $5,000 stock certificate from the stock brokerage.

The second round is then commenced by dealing four cards from each deck to each player. If a third round is required, three cards from each deck are dealt, and if a fourth round is required, two cards from each deck are dealt. After a player has made nine capitalized sets and pays for the airports therein, he is not required to pay for airports ten, eleven or twelve. He does, however, receive a $5,000 stock certificate for each of the capitalized sets obtained after the first nine. After a player has obtained nine airports, he may also add any amount he wishes to his stock by playing to the bank $5,000 for each $5,000 stock certificate. In doing so, the player must maintain enough money in play to take care of all obligations during play, such as ight fees and penalties indicated on the instruction cards. If a player begins to run short of playing funds, he may sell one of his airports back to the bank for $5,000 (his stock remaining the same). The capitalized set he sold to the bank is then shuied back into the live cards still in play, thereby allowing the same set to be capitalized by some other player. It should be remembered that when a player sells an airport back to the bank for playing funds, he must pay $10,000 to the bank on his next capitalized set, and does not in that event receive a stock certificate.

The winner of the game is the yirst player to obtain at least twelve capitalizations or airports and $100,000 worth of stock. For the benefit of children playing the game, it may be ended after one player has made twelve capitalizations irrespective of the amount of stock he possesses.

Thus, the present game is of instructional value in that the players soon become familiar with and learn the locations and configurations of the various states and their capitals. The game also maintains the players interest since it requires a considerable amount of strategy and fund management in manipulating the financial assets for obtaining the winning number of capitalizations and amount of stock in the shortest possible time. Thus, for example, a player must decide Whether to buy or sell certain airports, and whether to exchange cash for stock, keeping in mind that he must maintain suicient reserves for meeting all game obligations.

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.

As various changes could be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A game apparatus comprising a game board having a map bearing names of a plurality of different geographical entities and the name of a point of interest in each entity, a first deck of playing cards, each card bearing only the names of one of said geographical entities, a second deck of playing cards, each card bearing only the name of one of said points of interest, a deck of instruction cards, each bearing indicia thereon pertaining to a game move and providing instructions for a game move, `a plurality of game pieces adapted for movement over said game board and imitation money and simulated stock certificates indicative of money and stock held by individual players.

2. A game apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said plurality of geographical entities are constituted by the lifty United States.

3. A game apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein the points of interest are constituted by the capital cities of said states.

4. A game apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein different groups of said states bear indicia indicative of different sums of money.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS IDELBERT B. LOWE, Primary Examiner 

